GM says it will take steps to end Canada blockade

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - General Motors
warned on Monday it was ready to go to court to end the
blockade of its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa, Ontario, but
is still willing to talk to its angry union.

The company said it also lost some vehicle production at
its Oshawa facilities this weekend because of ongoing protests
against plans to phase out truck production at a plant in the
city, about 60 km (40 miles) east of Toronto.

The announcement of the shutdown prompted angry workers to
set up a blockade at the GM headquarters last week, forcing the
salaried administrative employees there to work from home or
hotel meeting rooms.

GM issued a statement on Monday saying it was ready to take
"necessary legal means required to end the ongoing blockade."
The statement did not elaborate on what legal steps the company
planned to take.

Canadian Auto Workers union President Buzz Hargrove said he
was not surprised GM was moving to get an injunction, and said
it was a smart thing for the company to have waited a few days
for the situation to have calmed down.

"It's quite interesting that they recognized that the anger
and frustration was pretty high and they better let it set for
a few days before they applied (to the courts,)" Hargrove told
Reuters. "I'm glad they did let it set a few days."

GM blames the shutdown, set for 2009, on falling demand for
pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles in the face of rising
fuel prices, but the Canadian Auto Workers union says the
company is violating its newly signed labor agreement.

The plant, which makes the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC
Sierra, employs about 2,600 hourly workers. It is one of the
four North American plants that GM said it will close to cut
capacity and to shift production toward more fuel-efficient
cars as record gasoline prices depress truck sales.
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